A Return Visit
by sUnKiSsT
Summary: John felt horror and fear hit him like a tidal wave when he realized where the thing that had killed Mary was headed next…Sam’s apartment. Tag to the Pilot. Frantic!John


**Author:** Ashley

**Rating/Disclaimer:** Rated K, and I own nothing!

**Note:** This is a tag to the Pilot episode…yes, right back to the beginning! I just figured that if John was tracking the demon, it would make sense that he tracked it straight to Sam's apartment.

**Summary:** John felt horror and fear hit him like a tidal wave when he realized where the thing that had killed Mary was headed next…Sam's apartment. Tag to the Pilot. Frantic!John

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**A Return Visit**

The black truck tore through the streets of Palo Alto with frightening speed, the large vehicle nearly tipping onto its side as it screeched around a sharp corner. John Winchester gritted his teeth as he attempted to regain control of the truck, not even tapping his brakes.

A cell phone was jammed up against John's ear, and he listened to the endless ringing with a sense of foreboding. He had left Jericho when signs of the thing that had killed his wife starting popping up in Palo Alto, tracking the son of a bitch for three sleepless nights.

John had been sitting in his motel room when he figured out where the bastard was headed next.

His youngest son's home…the thing was going after Sammy. John let out a furious curse when Sam didn't pick up his phone and tossed the cell aside; face grim. He didn't know why it was going after Sam…if it was a freakish coincidence or something else entirely, but right now that didn't matter.

That hell spawn wasn't going to get another member of his family. John gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white and fingers aching in response. He turned another corner, and ran a red light quickly after that, oblivious to the blaring horns from other drivers.

_I'm comin' Sammy. _John cursed the fact that he had chosen a motel room nearly two hours away from Sam's place. _Please be okay…Dean will kill me if you aren't. _

Ten minutes later, John was driving down a familiar street…the same street he had driven many times before when he'd gone to check up on the youngest Winchester in secret. John felt his heart fall to his feet when he spied the emergency vehicles, and he slammed on his brakes. Jumping from the cab, he strode towards the now smoldering apartment and looked around frantically for his son.

All of the air left his lungs when he didn't spy Sam or his blonde girlfriend. All he could see was people in their pajamas staring from behind the police tape, looking at the house with wide, grief stricken eyes. He moved closer towards them, listening with a pounding heart as they gossiped.

"God, it's just so horrible." One of the young women said in a hushed whisper.

Her companion nodded in agreement and muttered back, "I heard the firefighters talking earlier and they said that the fire was so hot that there was barely anything left. No solid bodies…"

"And they were both in there, right?"

The man nodded in response, "I saw Jessica go in with groceries…and her boyfriend, Sam right? I was watching TV and I saw him through my window…shit man, he walked in not ten minutes before the place burst into flames…"

The stricken father moved away from the pair quickly, having heard enough.

_Oh God, no. NO! _John felt his composure deteriorate, and he made a mad dash for the ruined structure. He ducked under the yellow tape and almost made it to the charred door when two firefighters and a police officer grabbed him.

"Sam! SAM!" John shouted, struggling madly against the hands pulling him away. "Let go, my son is in there!"

"Sir, you need to calm down right now." The female officer said calmly as the three forcefully moved John back behind the tape.

"My son…" He shot back, his legs giving out as the ugly truth reared its head. The son of a bitch had gotten his baby boy. Had gotten the son he had told to stay gone…_oh God, Sam…_John swallowed back the bile that threatened to come forth, and struggled back to his feet. He had failed his son…

…had failed _both_ of his sons.

Ignoring the concerned police officer, John stumbled away before sitting down on the sidewalk, looking up at the smoking apartment with burning eyes. He watched quietly as the firefighters finished up, and waved away the police officer who attempted to speak to him again.

John knew that he needed to run over the place with the EMF detector…that he needed to look for any clues while the trail was still fresh…but none of that mattered right now. _Sam, I'm so fucking sorry kiddo. _

His obsession to find this bastard had driven his youngest child away, and now he could never get Sam back.

John blinked back tears, and stood up shakily. The oldest Winchester walked up the road and towards his truck, standing beside the driver's door with a lost look on his face. He was surprised to see the sun on the horizon, realizing that he had been sitting on the sidewalk for nearly three hours.

Three hours that Dean didn't know his little brother was dead.

Anger suddenly swept through John, and his fist was flying towards the trucks side window before he even realized it. He watched, head titled to the side, as spider cracks spread out from the point of impact, snaking up the window quickly. He didn't feel the pain coming from his broken and bloodied knuckles.

The only pain he felt was on the inside, and it was tearing him up worse than any physical injury could. Letting out a harsh breath, John threw himself into the driver's seat and grabbed his cell phone with a trembling hand.

He had to call Dean…after that…well, he didn't really know what he'd do afterwards. John flipped the phone open, and was just about to dial when he realized that he had one missed call and a voicemail.

It was from Dean, and the message had been left less than two hours ago, while he'd been sitting outside. It took John five tries before he managed to punch in his password correctly, and he held the phone up to his ear, eyes closed.

"_Hey Dad… I ah…I took care of that thing in Jericho for you…actually, me _and_ Sam handled it. Listen…I don't know where you are, or if you'll even get this, but you need to call me right away. The thing that killed mom? It killed Sam's girlfriend tonight. I…I barely got Sammy out of there in time. Anyways, he's with me now and he's safe…but…he just needs you dad, now more than ever. Alright…well I guess I'll talk to you later…bye." _

The phone dropped from John's hand and into his lap. He dropped his head into his hands and just sat there, hunched awkwardly over the wheel.

John allowed a few tears to escape down his cheeks, his shoulders trembling slightly as overwhelming relief washed over him.

Sam was alive. There was still time to make things right.

…but there were things that needed to be done first.

John cleared his throat, wiped the wetness off of his cheeks and straightened his shoulders, his face a carefully controlled mask once again.

He had work to do.

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**End**

_I wrote this in about a half hour. It just came to me last night while lying in bed. I hope you enjoyed it, even though it was pretty short! _


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